The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-09-21
now WASHINGTON DIED.
Medical Men Assert That He Was Bied an
RIfStered to Death.

Medical Men Assert That He Was Bied and
Blistered to Death.
Washington Special.
The old time doctor and even the physician Of
but recent date formerly carried in his coat
pocket formidable lance. the sight of which
frightened his nervous patient. With that in
strumens he proceeded by way of preliminary
preparation for ''course of medicine" to open
q large vein in the sick persons and there
from draw from pint to quart OF blood
Then followed the inevitable prescription of
fifteen TO twenty grains OF calornel, accompanied
by a bottle of castor oil, and the patient would
be '1aid up" thereafter for some days engaged
in recovering from his heroic medical treatment.
Now phebotomy bood-letting has been al
most wholly abandoned. Calomel when pre-
scribed at all ia given in half-erain doses at in
tervals of three OF four hours, and so on to the
end of the list of old popular remedies.
One Of the physicians present, pursuing this
theme. astonished his hearers by asserting that
the Father of His Country" Gen. George
Washington, did not die a natural death, but
was killed by his doctors. Here several voices
simultaneously exclaimed:
That's libel Where is your evdence?'
Thereupon the supposed lioeler produced from
Georgetown, ID. c., newspaper. printed in
1899. account of the illness, death and burial
of General Washington, together with the GER
tiiicate of the physicians, Drs. Clark and Dick,
who treated the iliustrious patient in his last
illness The certificate Of these physicians,
who resided about fifteen miles from George
town. showed that General Washington. having
been exposed to rain on Friday, Dec. ID In the
night of that day attacked with chills, ac-
co1ppanied with pain In the upper and fore parE
of the throat, coughing, a difficult rather than
painful swallowing, succeeded by fever and
quick and laporious respiration.
General Washington" says the account.
regarding the attack only a severe cold,
would not send for physician, but called lnspne
his took roa the ssF mans af
nearly a pint of blood, which was goodly
portion of the vigorous, healthy life of the
patient. The patient was about in that coDdi-
ton until the arrival of his physicians at 10
o'clock the next morning saturday. when the
doctors pr oceeded to repeat the bleeder's opera
tion and twice within about four hours took
other two pints quarts OF blood. In the
interim employed two copious bleedings. a
blister applied TO the part affected, two
moderate doses of calomel were given succeeded
by repeated doses of tartar emetic, amounting
TO five six grains. with more effect than
copous discharge from the bowels"
This treatment of the heroic kind" in
terjected the alleged Ibeler, which was enough
to Kill any ordinary well man." and it was evil
IDENTIFY doing the business for the General, for
the learned doctors add: -
The powers of life seemed now rnanifestly yielding
to the force of the disorder Bsters applied to
the extrenities, together with cataplasm of bran
and vinegar to the throat Speaking, which was PAIN
full from the beginning, now became almost npracti-
cable. Respiration grew more and moro contracted
and imperfect until 1l:3O o'clock Saturday
night when, retaining the possession of his intellect,
he ex pired without struggle.
mo wonder" remarked the alleged libeler.
Chow could he struggle after losing about ali
the blood in his body, with huge blsters aiding
in the depletion of vital strength and his stom-
a:h crammed with calome and tartar emetic so
that there was room for food OF fluids, which
he should have had to keep up the system2
Poor man, how he must have suffered; and he
couldn't make them stop their torture although
he seems have tried to do SO. But the med
ical certify that after repeated efforts to be
understood he succeeded in expressing a desire
that he might be permitted TO die without inter-
ruption. There, my brother DOCTORS you
convinceda Wasn't that a clear case of mall
practicep
mo, sir" humorously responded brother
doctor. THAT in accordance with the
treatment adopted by that eminent physician,
DIR. Sangrado, who had large practice in Spain
over two hundred years ago, which practice, as
impaired by the renowned Sangrado to his apt
student Gil Bias, consisted in copious bleeding
and keeping the patients body filed with hot
water